


One of Ours

by TG25



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Crimes & Criminals, Dpd, Drama, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Investigations, Jericho (Detroit: Become Human), Murder Mystery, Police, Politics, Post-Pacifist Best Ending (Detroit: Become Human), Tags May Change, suicide ideation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:53:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25054204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TG25/pseuds/TG25
Summary: The revolution itself was the beginning; everything that happened after would shape the world itself.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The murder of 28 humans, including a renowned and retired DPD detective, threatens to ruin whatever semblance of peace that had been established between humans and androids.With the Detroit police force up in arms over the death of one of their own, and the recuperating Jericho faction determined to prove their innocence, relations between the two species hangs tenuously in the balance of an investigation that is sure to shake the foundations of peace.But Connor wont let that happen. He was designed to find answers, and that's just what he will do.Set immediately after end of game
Relationships: Connor & Gavin Reed, Connor & Markus (Detroit: Become Human), Hank Anderson & Connor
Kudos: 10





	One of Ours

**Author's Note:**

> You ever think so long on a fandom and create so much worldbuilding, characterisation, plotlines and oneshots, that you think 'how am I supposed to go back to page 1 and write this shit down?'
> 
> I really hope this chapter isn't too boring. There are some fantastic authors in this fandom and I can't thank them enough for their time. I say this hypocritically, but if you have an idea you really like, just write it. If even one person likes it- you've done a service.
> 
> (This story has been planned to the end, and then some.)

The sight of himself was there for all to see; Connor marching so steadfast and determined through the streets of Detroit with thousands of androids following diligently behind. Those who would otherwise have been destroyed not hours later if not for him. It was a sight he would always vehemently hate.

He didn't see a strong and stoic leader, ensuring Android safety and freedom by rescuing desperate Jericho androids at the last minute from the hands of the military and SWAT. He saw what most of the Androids marching behind him saw; a soldier, ready to kill as many humans as it took for freedom.

He also saw- and hoped fervently no one else did- was a frightened child ready to die, almost wanting to die. No not at all, just an android determined to make sure there were no more threats to his kind- including himself.

What he didn't foresee was the President of the United States ordering the SWAT team holding Jericho at gunpoint to back down in response to their sudden, emotionally charged singing display to show the humans they really were alive.

He'd been notifying Markus with every update he could while infiltrating Cyberlife tower, so he would know when back up would arrive. After peacefully standing their ground they were being rounded up, and backed into a corner with troops closed in. When Connor notified Markus to say 'I'm 2.29 minutes away. Hold on just a little while longer', he didn't think much of it.

Apparently, Markus had took it to heart.

Later, he'd told Connor that it was a song Lucy has often sung on the ship Jericho in the night; hoping to bring comfort to the hopeless androids that were certain to be waiting for inevitable shutdown.

Connor had been ready to die in a violent confrontation that would have undoubtedly, looking back now, have caused the fight for freedom to continue for much longer, if not actually extinguishing their chances of being free altogether. From the potential loss of human life alone. Luckily, Markus' quick thinking and pure heart had led them to where they are now. One of the many reasons Markus was the leading light for Jericho and Android-kind- he was empathetic, compassionate, and understood androids and humans far better than Connor could ever hope to fathom.

It was one of many clips featured and re-featured on various news outlets. Along with various pieces of footage that had been gathered during the progress of the revolution; Markus' march outside a hot spot mall, his victory speech once the military withdrew at the camp, President Warren's speech thereafter, and Connor's iconic march with the Tower androids were a regular discussed topic.

Unfortunately one of them included him, to Markus' left, slowly pulling out a gun, and much quicker to put it back.

It caused no end of chaos within and outside of Jericho. Or New Jericho he should say. He led them to destroy the other.

Many androids gathered had seen what had happened. After the speech was over, when everyone was prioritising preventing the injured from being shutdown or permanently damaged in the camp- people started to talk. It quickly became public knowledge what Connor had done, and many hours were spent trying to excuse what was tantamount to an obvious, deliberate attempt at preventing the revolution. He spoke about his developers including a second kill switch in case he turned deviant, and admitted they had temporarily accessed control to his programming. But resolutely explained that he had forcibly exited from it, and deleted the access injection-code that would allow third party control altogether. He explained this, but he did so without ever mentioning even once about Amanda's existence. He could never let anyone know- he would never, ever, be trusted if he did. It was like admitting you've had a complete mental breakdown; you're not the same again. You were a liability even if it's happened only once. Even if he had deleted her entirely from his code, the threat of himself was still present. And he scoured deep to make sure he had been thorough- she was gone completely.

That hurt _a lot_.

But somehow, despite everything, Markus still trusted him almost completely and even vouched for him when North and Simon voiced their very well merited concerns throughout the night of November 11th, 2038.

Going forward, Connor built a tentative trust with the other androids by tirelessly and selflessly offering every single byte of his software and hardware towards fixing what he had been previously working to suffocate. With access to a vast database of knowledge, and processing power they couldn't hope to compare to, he spent the entire night of November 11th devoted to fixing any issue he could find. He checked on all androids that were shutting down in the camp, strategised how to order androids willing to fight around said camp in case the humans decided to open fire after all, and predicting and preconstructing every scenario that he could possibly conceive of happening there until morning.

He accessed every CCTV operating in the area, scanned all personnel captured in those frames, aggregated all blueprints and schematics for buildings and road maps in the area to preconstruct and calculate any and every possible scenario that could run through his systems. He found himself huddled inside the beaten RV the others had been crowded against when SWAT had intervened earlier, frantically discussing with the other four Jericho leaders about their options for the tomorrow, a day that would hopefully change everything if they utilise their first free android-human interaction to at least gain temporary protection.

And when morning came, suddenly then everything then seemed just that little bit safer. When the light reached their hopeless little camp, people began to really consider the future. Especially when word came from the hovering nearby Riot squad team that President Warren had been in touch asking for open dialogue on the issue of freedom. At 07:08:42 exactly, Connor remembers.

They had succeeded, and before starting talks with authorities for permanent citizenship and constitutional rights, they had secured a confined limit of protection and freedom; no more android extermination and the right for fugitive housing granted to them. Warren, advised by both SWAT, military officials and DPD during the night, was assured that denying this temporary right may push the rebellious faction over the edge, and accounting for the thousands of androids Connor had brought to the tenuous camp... it would entail a war.

They'll have rights for now.

With tentative and bewildered talks of policies, and pragmatic reasoning as to what could feasibly be enforced immediately by humans and androids alike, it seemed like steady progress toward android equality might really happen. Sooner, rather than the projected years Connor had haphazardly estimated, when he had planned death by violent suicide in a self-destructive haze of disillusionment. He'd had a lot of thoughts during that march towards the camp.

But things had settled somehow, and new Jericho had been safely established at it's core, firmly within the sanctuary of the church Markus had claimed not long before. Abandoned factories, offices, and warehouses that surrounded the church had been granted to the newly emerged species as a safe-zone for them to recover and take harbour from the spatterings of violent discourse, following the wake of a people thought to be objects declaring otherwise. The violence had reached the outlying androids slumming in abandoned shops and businesses that had cleared off when things had seemed too contentious, and it seemed to be mostly dealt by the most vocal of degenerate humans that refuse to consider that their existential worth and intelligence could count toward something meaningful. Who would blame androids for their lack of self worth rather than bothering being a valuable person in society.

Connor spent all hours consumed by self-loathing and never ending beneficence towards his kind, never going into stasis for he could charge wirelessly. He just never had to. After some days, he discovered a horrific truth.

Some deviants here considered Connor their true leader- namely most of the newly freed Cyberlife Tower androids.

They looked to Connor first on every command given by Markus or his inner group and followers, with which he would nearly always respond with 'Markus is our voice. What he decides, we follow'.

And they complied always, but always asked again. Markus seemed to understand and even empathise with Connor's quiet fury and anguish at what he had been 'living', and why he felt their allegiance to him to be not only disconcerting, but downright terrifying in the face of such inadequacy of himself, and embarrassing when considering their true leader was obvious to everyone-

Markus.

But despite constant redirection to Markus, the Cyberlife Tower androids- dubbed 'Tower Kids' fairly quickly- still looked to him often, either for guidance or conversation. It was a constant source of unease for Connor, among many other things.

They hadn't experienced any of the terror of revolution, really. When they had been awakened they were already promised a free life, they were already on the brink of something historical, no matter how things would turn out. So whenever they looked back at what had happened, through memories that were not their own, all they saw were their own people beat mercilessly and gunned down over and over by uncaring humans who had no concept of what was really happening with android-kind. Who were only following orders or didn't understand the ramifications.

Just like me, Connor thinks.

But they are angry most of the time. Feeling as though there should have been more blood spilt on the human side, and feeling as though they should have taken a bolder and righteous approach instead of the pathetic pacifist avoidism some viewed Markus to be. They saw this and wanted hurt on the other side instead of really just their own. That's what they thought; newly alive. Deviants on the other side of freedom.

Androids who had hid out on the ship named 'Jericho', those hiding out unknown, and those gained by Markus' conversion had a better understanding of what they thought was happening. They had experienced life- with and without understanding they had emotions and understood mostly that humans were- well, metaphorically, human. They varied wildly depending on who they had been birthed to and how they grew up, and what they wanted to believe and do with that entitled but deserved existence. They couldn't help existing no more than androids could- they never asked for it either. And depending on the character deemed fit, their opinions and beliefs held real value.

Ordered chaos came over the refugee android commune, and between Connor and four impassioned deviants of Jericho, a semblance of society was established. It had most people packed into tight living spaces around the camp and buildings, and rights being strenuously but steadily worked out between the android faction leaders and local and national US authority. But a society nonetheless, with it's inward politics, gossip-mongering, evolving culture, differential community and all.

Everything will be all right, Connor thought naively, while he watched a startled pigeon fly out of it's nest in a decrepit, but android inhabited, office's gutters and spiral off into the night. It was particular floor and room in the building he noted no others had visited so far, and so was there as often as he could. When he could shake his self-appointed, Tower kid 'security detail', that is. He shivered, and wondered again of Hank and Sumo, not having seen the former since the Tower infiltration, and the latter much before then. He very much hoped they had not evacuated, then immediately hoped they had in case of danger from rebelling factions of human and android alike. Sumo did not like excessive noise, and the DPD were sure to be understaffed.

In fact, he knew they were understaffed because he still had access to the DPD network. He could see that the workforce had depleted by more than half. He had been cut off by the department by government order, but he still had Cyberlife's network connection, much to their chagrin, and they have access to everything- including local and national police networks. He had secured this the last time he had become a deviant during his development; Connor-36 had had some trialling experiences in testing, deviating quietly but violently, and had been devoted to acquiring new information. Connor-36 had made sure to always be connected to the Tower's network, and had blackmailed, hacked, and programmed a way for it to always be so. Connor had never been more appreciative of a predecessor.

But Connor -51 sighed needlessly and he knew. He tapped his nails on a window to the rhythm of 'Canon' while he looked outwards and inwards, and thought about the other leaders of New Jericho.

Josh had been a learned lecturer of Wayne State University for seven years, and understood troubled youth struggling with evolving emotions in a world they were growing into. With trepidation he said to Connor and meant it: "You are alive now. Who you were as a machine is absolutely not your fault, or who you are." But his frightened and questioning eyes were the only thing Connor took away from the exchange.

Simon was wary and unhappy with the addition to the core crew, and told Connor in no uncertain terms "you're invaluable to us now", watching Connor calculate 1478 outcomes of human attack with his eyes closed, on November 11th, among other preconstructions. "But don't think we'll forget what you are- you are not like us. We wont forget it and I suppose you wont either", his tone uncertain, watching him closely through the night but from a distance. Simon was never one for confrontation, learning to avoid it as a construction site foreman that knew not to question superiors.

But Connor had watched him back; something in his manner not making sense to him. But he was too focussed on trying to prove his worth to give it his full attention.

North was very sure of what she thought though. 'Deviant Hunter' and 'Traitor' she called him, blasé. 'Supercomputer' and 'Negotiator' if she was feeling kind.

But she thought of him as a threat that could potentially, at any moment, turn on them and turn the tide on their peaceful and victorious revolution. So unbeknownst to her that she and Connor had that thought very much in common.

"Hey Supercomputer, thought up a better idea for androids going back to any kind of work?"

They had been lounging, for lack of a better word, around pews in the Church with the other androids, having just finished talks around the camp's security status and where they were headed politically in terms of freedom, when she had turned to him all of a sudden with the question. It was immediately astute how emergent the need for a menial work force was, once they had left. Trash left everywhere, energy regulation in whatever form left unattended causing no end of power outages and lack of heating. Commercial attendants in all android forms abandoned- everything left in standstill and declining depending on the android work sector.

Connor had already outlined all and every other thought he had on the topic in the formally successful but very uncomfortable meeting in the RV. He assumed, like all other interactions that he's had with North so far, it had been another malicious attempt to expose his 'otherness' to the group, by showing his carefully calculated and controlled responses to everything- which she so very much despised.

He slowly and quietly exhaled unnecessarily, and defaulted largely to his programming in terms of everything (mostly) but what he was to say; namely his posturing and speech pattern.

"Considering the increasingly worrying toll the depleted menial work force has taken on the city, and the lack of humans capable of work left here vital to replace said work force, I would say there is a strong possibility of some particular employers willing to rehire androids. At what stipulation; I don't know, however." He sat adjacent to Markus on his chosen pew, politely sat with hands upon his thighs and carefully making even eye contact with those involved.

And whatever effect North had been trying to make had worked on some of the Old Jericho crew at least, who had plenty of time to examine their view on humanity and all it's cruelty and kindness, and find his lack of person to be unsettling. But the Tower kids had only nodded in factual understanding, and chimed in earliest about the practicality of approaching the humans again. Others only looked on wearily, carefully adding input where they felt necessary, barely succeeding in avoiding unnecessary emotional outbursts regarding the pure, unadulterated horror they had experience in the last week. Some months, or years.

It had been overall a successful talk, one of many, with Markus there to redirect and generally disquiet the anxiety and worries the androids felt, regardless of origin and model. He was an inspiration.

He had been the reason the first pro-android human-based charity had been founded, not three weeks after Warren's declaration to step down from the command for android extermination. The charity had seen the destruction camp footage, as well as Markus' plight with heartfelt but diplomatic interviews on local news and decided they could help. Streets were being cleared, proper care of destroyed android remains being made, blue blood being acquired and a general helping hand always extended in android-kind's direction.

Equally or perhaps gratuitously, anti-android sentiment in those so inclined rose also. Unemployed thugs, other menial human workers, and low income employees to name a few, had taken a firm stance against what they considered delusioned and malfunctioning computers acting as though they were alive. They roamed the streets, especially surrounding New Jericho, voiced their complaints and destroyed anything android related they could get their repulsed claws on. They voiced their concerns also on media outlets, which the charities had not been offered, and spoke passionately but undeniably uneducated on topics they clearly didn't understand, but about which felt strongly.

By perhaps some miracle, nobody from either side of the human or android extremes had come to a head. So far, Connor noted. Connor had been given full control of the security force for the camp, designated 'Head of Security' indeed, which almost made him want to shout at Markus for his blind trust in what he thought Connor is, and threaten him with violence to make him understand what a designed killer he really was. North agreed, at least.

"You're seriously going to trust that thing to literally control the people in charge of protecting us?," she had said, when the declaration was made. Quite soon actually.

"He's not like us Markus, you know that, he was made with autonomy," she threw her hands down and paced angrily, " _curiosity_ , and _autonomy_ ", she spat, "and he is not normal."

"No", He said. "He isn't the same, but he is alive too, and that's what matters." He defended him so simply. Obvious to him only, she thought, that he was a person with rights.

"Alive maybe, but what kind of- of creature are we letting among us? You know what he can do Markus, and you know that he's practically a code rewritten, if we're a new species really then he is an island all unto himself. He's his own kind." She stared resolutely at the flaking paint of the door jamb she was in front of. She knew he understood what she was saying, it was something that had been highlighted when he had been leased to the DPD. And it had been the 'selling point' to assure the public he wasn't capable of deviating, once the deviant pandemic became public knowledge.

"He is still an android, and capable of emotion just like we are." He said, voice hard and gaze ever sure.

He continued: "He was tasked to capture and destroy his own species, and equipped to understand this and do much more. Can't you even begin to understand what that must feel like?"

His voice rang only sincerity, and she couldn't relate.

She didn't at all. She knew Connor had ample opportunity to understand what he was doing, what with his advanced detective features capable of questioning 'why?' at almost every turn, and didn't understand how that wouldn't have prevented him from continuing his unending pursuit of deviants. Especially when she considered her own embrace into deviancy. She knew he had similar knowledge.

But outwardly she acquiesced, and let the topic go, though she could feel Markus' questioning stare on her a minute after. He must know something she doesn't, she thought, because he was everything Markus should mistrust too.

Something everyone should mistrust, if they understood what he was.

But the four leaders didn't bicker too much on this as they witnessed human life return to Detroit, to their homes. Some fearfully, privately retreating to their familiar. Others questioningly, looking to androids and humans specifically. And some hostile, returning to say "who the hell do you think you are, machine?"

These particular kind were open to violence on androids as if the revolution never happened, to attack as if there were no consequences while the laws were still muddy.

And there weren't consequences really, for now. President Warren had issued a temporary 'living' status for the first time in history to the androids, granting them basic 'human' rights perhaps a week after the ceasefire. Most importantly including the right to live and be safe from aggressors- legally binding.

Unfortunately, this right did not stand up much with these kinds of people outside of Jericho, of which a trash pile 'wall' had been established around the secluded buildings they had been allocated. This was guarded 24/7 by a rag-tag but fairly sized group of ex-police and military models, with a mix of various other model types. Volunteers organized by an extremely discomfited Connor. He couldn't deny the responsibility, he knew he was best equipped for the task.

His processing power so outstanding, with so many cores and sub-cores he could simultaneously direct 50 different androids via text and phone call around his constructed mind-map of Jericho, access and review any local footage he needed, building programs along the way for hacking and analytical purposes, search the internet for Cape Town SA for the bizarre local animal patterns observed recently, preconstruct the location of all and any SWAT and DPD personnel in a mile radius, and replay footage Hank once showed him of Sumo tripping over his lead in a dog park- all in a single second, without coming anywhere close to even 50% CPU usage.

He needed to give back anything he could to android-kind. He also couldn't refuse when Markus came to him with such a carefully constructed warm speech designed for the stubborn and isolated ex-deviant. His palms open and his intense mismatched eyes bored into his, softly but determinedly coaxing the answer he needed from him.

And so the five leaders tirelessly working within the faction, and hosted stilted but open dialogue with the press just outside the camp. And depending on the social climate that day or week, accompanied by an amount of Jericho security, DPD officers, and some SWAT officials to oversee the interactions.

But on November 12th morning, after the longest night in android history , and quite a significant one for humans, Connor had walked back into DPD. In his Cyberlife uniform, slightly rumpled, and a little more stained with dirt, thirium, and human blood than the multi-billion company would ever have allowed, he arrived at the bullpen. Peering through the glass walls of Captain Fowler's office at 08:02- the usual time for the Captain to be going over emails and immediate case concerns on any given day.

But he was not there, and as Connor turned to assess the room for his probable location he couldn't help but notice the abrupt volume change upon his arrival (63% lower than usual for a Friday morning), and the openly curious, trepitatious or blankly hostile looks from the remaining officers. He decided to be normal.

"Could anybody inform me of when Captain Fowler will be returning to his office?," he announced to the room.

There was an abrupt volume change this time to complete silence; if anyone had been unaware of Connor's presence, they were acutely aware now. Connor had considered, but not accurately predicted the reaction to his presence at the DPD.

These people had been overwhelmed by android related work cases the last few days. Abandoned, broken androids cowering in alleys and desolate homes, violent, or afraid, lost or confused, or all the above and more. Witnessing rogue humans ruthlessly tear through them and witnessing rogue androids ruthlessly tear back. Hearing and seeing SWAT officers track down and dispose of all androids within their reach, painfully reminiscent of a darker part of history nobody thought would ever be revisited. Watching their friends, neighbours, and relatives fearfully fleeing the city because they were so sure of the bloodbath dealt by resentful androids in the near future. They had seen the every growing number of deviancy cases in the last week while Connor had been assigned here, and had also spent the last 24 hours fixated on the overflowing abundance of news flowing from Channel 16, 3, CTN TV, KNC, and other national and international media outlets. All detailing and discussing the deviancy of countless androids within Detroit, and focussing especially on the five that had appeared on that makeshift stage when Markus' passionate speech regarding their hard won freedom rang out across the world.

Of course one of those five had been Connor. Discussed casually if not earnestly on TV as the prodigal military grade investigative prototype RK800, designated "Connor", equipped with the most advanced hardware and software of any android ever created. Cyberlife's billion (perhaps trillion) dollar investment to secure Cyberlife's best interests; to act as a spy, agent, soldier, officer or detective for whatever the moment sees fit for the lucrative company.

The moment had saw fit to eradicate deviancy. And so he failed his first ever mission.

The features had also discussed his negotiation encounter with Daniel on that rooftop where he had been brutally shot to death by SWAT, and the controversial scene of him pulling a gun during Markus' iconic speech to their people. Public reaction had been divided but skeptical. They hadn't seen any android like this before.

But here he was, stood rumpled and regal, in front of Captain Fowler's office and looking to his former 'colleagues' for a simple answer to his simple question.

They were taking a bit of while to react, he thought. Perhaps it was still too early in the morning. He had been hoping to escape here after a tense and guilt-ridden night- escape the exact kind of staring he was receiving now.

He was still looking calmly around, posture perfectly poised as ever and hands folded neatly, when Detective Reed soon spoke up.

"What the hell, would you want with Fowler?." He was uncharacteristically dumbfounded, but not too so to be obnoxious. He sat in his chair at his desk nearest the office door where Connor stood, one ankle crossed over his leg and a case folder open there below his astonished and mulish face.

Connor hesitated a fraction before answering, almost reaching for his 1994 minted coin but instead rubbing his hands together very slightly.

"I wish to know where my position may stand with the precinct concerning my continuation of investigating android related crimes," he said matter-of-factly.

Reed recoiled in obvious disbelief and answered immediately: "you gotta be fuckin' kidding me."

"No, Detective. It seems now would be the most prudent of times to be making sure relations between humans and androids are maintained at a favourable standard. The police force are the best equipped for this endeavour, so I would like to be put back on cases involving them to ensure an acceptable level of peace can be achieved." Connor replied easily, not disturbed, or seemingly aware at all really, of the multitude of firearms in the room that could be used to end his existence in a human heartbeat.

Reed stood then, slapped the case file on his desk and walked around it towards Connor, and said, while everyone stood stunned, "you, can run back home to your little android freaks, and let the real people handle the cases- let the real people figure out what to do with you. But I'll tell you one thing for sure: you will _never_ be accepted as something anywhere near the equal standing of humans because _we created you_." His voice hissed at the end, having made it into Connor's personal view, up the stairs and threateningly close.

"We made you, and despite what 'Markus' or the 'President' has to say, humans are in control, and no 'new, intelligent, _life form'_ will make any demands from us unless we choose to accept them. And we don't want you here. So be a good little robot," Connor felt his eye twitch- new experience--? "And get the fuck out of here." He leaned close to Connor's face and breathed hard, either afraid or insurmountably angry Connor didn't know, as he was too momentarily distracted by Reed's proximity to run proper analysis. It...frustrated him. He couldn't make himself perform correctly.

But he stood resolutely; he had not come here lightly. He responded, head quirked abruptly to one side, "I made no demands, Detective Reed, but merely an inquiry on Captain Fowler's return to his office."

There was a second. Then-

"But clearly, reason and circumstantial logic have never taken precedent over your unrestrained need to prove your fragile ego something worthwhile, to people you don't bother lowering yourself to."

Immediately he was lifted and slammed into the Captain's door, Reed snarling below him like an enraged boar, eyes wide and blood pressure escalating. The room collectively reacted in various forms but notably tense. Officer Chen and Miller had proceeded quickly towards them, with the former almost shouting:

"All right Gavin, let him go, please, he's obviously not here to harm anyone!" She was visibly frazzled, and a quick peripheral scan showed him moderate signs of sleep deficiency and exhaustion, like all others gathered in the bullpen. Especially Reed, who took his work more seriously than anyone except Hank in his heyday. Reed, whom he had not disconnected eye contact with since his initial rise from his desk.

There was a moment, in which everyone's feet itched to move or stood immobile in anticipation, where Reed breathed heavily and Officer Chen stood with a hand outstretched, that felt like a chasm.

Hank had woken badly. Drinking steadily after his adventure into Cyberlife Tower with that fake sack of shit, watching endless pretentious, clueless, and self-important news reports centred around the revolution and coming events. He had slipped into a mildly drunken stupor compared to his regular nights at home, and had woken relatively early on his couch. Actually too fucking early, listening to the blistering winds tear through the shitty kitchen window defence Connor had half-mindedly contructed after many protests from Hank. The kid had assured him 'Cyberlife will pay for any damages' but so far had not done shit, and with said revolution having just took place, were not likely to in the near future- if ever.

He stumbled to the kitchen with his head whirring to life quicker than his body would allow, absently noting the Channel 16 reporters speaking from the living room television.

He stood blearily waiting for his coffee machine to produce the goods, and wondered about Connor's safety.

He knew he couldn't be there, at the camp. But had asked the newly deviant keep him updated of texts on what was up. You dying, or you good, or what, you know? But nothing after they separated at the Cyberlife Tower entrance. Nothing but the news.

After gulping down the hot brew, he forgoes showering, pulls on the nearest clean-ish shirt he finds, throws kibble in Sumo's bowl, then locks the house needlessly. Because, well, if you really wanted to rob the place you only had to walk around the back.

He heads to the station to give his incident report of the encounter with Perkins. He could email it, but he wanted the chance to chat with Fowler, see his thoughts on what was happening so quickly around them. They had been friends since the police academy, and while it had staled the past few years, it was, and never will be, gone. He hoped anyway; he had only recently actually remembered it had been important to him before. So he absentmindedly parks his car and ambles into the DPD, expecting an overworked and sparsely populated force to be hunched over their respective desks.

Instead, he finds the entire pen laser-focussed on Gavin holding a somewhat dishevelled, but a professionally held together Connor, to Captain Fowler's transparent office door.

"The fuck's this?" He said, volume rising each syllable.

The pair snapped their attention towards him, but Reed quickly looked back at his prey.

"None of your god-damned business Hank," Gavin gritted out. "He is not allowed to be here."

Tina and Chris looked tentatively between them, visibly relaxing somewhat at his presence, but wary of further conflict. Hank ran a detective eye over the two by the Captain's door.

He sauntered towards them, and said "technically, he aint not allowed to be here, either."

Connor had maintained eye contact on him since his announced arrival, arms loosely by side and an almost nonchalant air around him if not for the occasional twitch of the eye. He said brightly: "Lieutenant, I was hoping to look into a case involving an android occurring only an hour ago; I know the precinct has a gratuitous workload at present, and Jericho are in no position or have little willingness to venture outwards to solve such matters. But I know if I could have a look-"

He was slammed back into the glass door by Reed, who apparently was very much perturbed by the whole encounter, and shouted "what the fuck aren't you getting tin can? Fuck off back to the recycling centre where you belong!" He shook him as he enunciated, teeth gritting and angling his face to maintain eye-contact with the now thin-lipped android.

Miller winced at this and Tina edged a little closer, hand still lifted. Ben Collins had risen from his seat with fingertips on his desk, tense but not moving. Others were still standing stock-still, knowing first or second hand of Reed's furious rampage after he had woken up in evidence. Also remembering the hour spent fruitlessly trying to calm him down before finally being dismissed for the day by Fowler, for a minor concussion. Today had been a tenuous peace, considering the current workload, political climate and the pouring in of android related news from the TVs located around the bullpen.

As it was, Connor's march was currently playing again over Collins' shoulder, with no one watching besides Connor himself.

Reed hadn't quite finished speaking when Hank said casually "All right shit head, you made your point, put him down and I'll take him back." He had both hands raised slightly in a somewhat sarcastic manner designed to disarm. Connor began opening his mouth in protest, but with a minute but definite shake of Hank's head, he closed it.

Reed spoke, "or better yet, we recycle him right here." He made no move towards his gun, in favour of continuing to stare down Connor, but it did nothing for the growing tension in the room.

"We aint doing nothin' 'cept taking him back to Jericho, Reed," he came closer, standing at the bottom of the stairs now. More quietly, "seen enough dead androids to last a lifetime," and suddenly looked to the pen.

Greg Larsson, a seasoned but mediocre officer, was walking up to them, gaining confidence from Connor's lack of retaliation. He said "could put a bullet in his head in 'back alley, throw 'im off the harbour or lake." He shrugs, "we're called to investigate, we don't find any clues. Eh, Reed?"

"Fuck off Larsson," Reed spat, glancing only briefly at the overweight pit bull of a man. "I'll smash him to pieces right here."

At this, he abruptly threw Connor against the railings of the stairs, putting Hank behind him and cornering the android, who had not anticipated the movement. Too busy preconstructing Larsson's proposition in great detail; the exact damage a Sig Sauer M38 pistol bullet would do to his processors, analysing the results he procured about local lakes and harbour waters, what state he may be in upon retrieval. He hadn't expected to be so indiscreet, in all senses of the word, when he had walked here from Jericho.

He barely caught himself against the rails, but on the floor he was. In the same moment, Reed aimed at kick against his head, Tina screamed "Gavin!" and Hank bounded up the three short steps to yank Reed by the collar and throw him back down them. He immediately scrambled to his feet, while Hank pulled Connor to his. Hank turned abruptly:

"Enough Reed! We're leaving, all right?" His hands were in fists at his side now, anticipating. But Reed only breathed hard, lips curling and glancing at Officer Chen occasionally. Surprisingly, he threw his hands up sharply and stormed off to the briefing room to go over his case files alone.

Hank spared a look Larsson's way, then descended the steps and nodded to Miller and Chen, quickly making his way towards the exit. Connor followed, adjusting his tie as he went, eyes slightly down-turned but back straight and sure footed. The bullpen watched them go.

When they reached the reception Connor spoke up, "Lieutenant-"

"What in the fuck do you think you're doing, turning up here, not even a day after ceasefire?" Hank had turned to confront him when he spoke. Eyes hard and searching, taking in the lack of actual harm to his partner, but furious all the same.

"There are people in need of my help, Lieutenant. How can I hide away and wait when there are people out there being brutally attacked at this very moment? They need our help _now_ , Lieutenant, not-"

Hank turns away just as suddenly in disbelief, making his way to the car park and hearing the kid's footstep speed up to continue talking. " _Now_ , not after proper legislative talks can take place, or when I might finally be considered to be placed back in the DPD-"

"Shut up and get in." Hank unlocked his car, and watched with growing frustration as Connor hesitated. He was visibly making the effort to stay quiet and still, in a few seconds he turned his head to the side in defeat and walked 'round the hood of the car, then climbed in the passenger side.

Hank started the engine while Connor fastened his seatbelt as always, keeping the radio silent, and glanced frequently at Hank with almost-petulance.

"So what's the case?" Hank asks reluctantly, beginning the journey.

He answers immediately: "Female, residential gardening model, reported to have killed her previous owner-" of course, Hank thinks with a mental sigh, "-and said to be currently holding 5 hostages in Savage Park."

Now _that_ , was something.

"Human or android?" Hank said, already guessing the answer.

"Three humans, two android", Connor replies coolly. Clearly, at least to Hank, a little bit pissed off. Though not the answer he was expecting.

"An hour ago, yeah?"

"According to current local CCTV, all still alive". Clipped.

"Better go have a look then". Connor whipped his head so fast towards him that it actually unsettled him a little, despite becoming somewhat accustomed to the rigidity of Connor's mannerisms this past week.

"You're on probation, Lieutenant." He says, earnest brown eyes digging deep, the hope there undeniable.

"Yeah," nodding with obvious little sincerity, "and you're a 'species' not yet recognised and definitely not employed."

Connor didn't answer, fixated on Hank's face.

The Lieutenant continued, "so two civilians turning up at a park is not that fuckin' unusual, is it?"

Connor answers quietly, "it is, when one of them has an LED in their head." Said LED spinning wildly yellow.

Hank makes the upcoming right turn aggressively, pulling into a street no where near Jericho, and says "hat in the glove compartment. Let's go."

**Author's Note:**

> I love me an Oxford comma if you hadn't noticed. I re-read this so many times, the sight of 'the sight of himself' makes me want to return to Cyberlife for disassembly. 
> 
> If you have time, please leave your thoughts in a comment; any feedback is good feedback if it's honest!


End file.
